There are several varieties of steroids namely anabolic steroids and corticosteroids. The former is used mostly by bodybuilders who want to gain muscle mass and also by athletes who want to enhance their performance. Various research studies conducted have shown that anabolic steroids indeed lead to a fast increase in muscle mass and decrease the fatigue brought about as a result of intense training. The latter is used by various medical experts in the treatment of conditions such as body inflammation and asthma.
This article will focus more on anabolic steroids, since they have evoked great controversy among those in the fitness industry. Anabolic steroids are synthetic proteins which have been made to resemble the male sex hormone, which is testosterone. This hormone is responsible for the male sexual characteristics, and it also spurs up the growth of muscles. Initially, some of these anabolic steroids were produced for the treatment of conditions such as breast cancer, endometriosis, and anemia. Due to its ability to spur muscle growth, a lot of bodybuilders and athletes have turned to using these drugs. When you take anabolic steroids, the synthesis of proteins by the muscle tissue is enhanced and that is why a bodybuilder is able to have rapid muscle development. A bodybuilder who uses anabolic steroids is also able to develop more muscle tissue and this leads to a rapid muscle development.
Although anabolic steroids lead to an increase in the rate of muscle growth, this comes at a great expense to your health. Men who use steroids often develop a hormonal imbalance, and this signifies the onset of their problems. There reproduction cycle for one is affected, the testes glands will lower its production of testosterone and when this occurs the person experiences a fall in their sperm count plus there testicles start to shrink. Some men have even become impotent due to these factors. When anabolic steroids break down, they usually change into estradiol, which is a female sex hormone. Thus, a man on steroids starts experiencing an increase in the size of their breasts, since estradiol is the hormone responsible for the growth of breasts.
There are also other side effects of taking steroids such as feeling of a painful sensation during urination, the prostate gland also enlarges, the erection becomes very painful and also there have been cases where a person becomes bald as a result of taking steroids.
These are just mild side effects; there are other side effects which could lead to death such as liver tumors and cancer, heart conditions, kidney disorders.
There has been incidence where bodybuilders and athletes who use steroids have ended up becoming very aggressive. Steroids have been linked to the increase in aggression. The other side effect is the feeling of depression and some have become so extreme leading to suicide.
The other psychological problem of taking steroids is that it makes a person develop insomnia and other sleeping disorders. Therefore, before you consider using steroids you need to consider all the above issues in order to make an informed decision.
